Photo Essay: A Spiritual Evening of Selichot

In the middle of the Aseret Yemi Teshuva (the ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, traditionally the most intense days of prayer, reflection, and service of the year), Masa Israel invited all of the Midrashot (seminary) participants to an evening of elevation, songs and prayers. Over 1800 students from more then 30 Midrashot attended the evening.

Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Metzger, opened the evening with his personal moving story about fighting in the Yom Kippur War, and was followed by Ms. Esti Rosenberg who spoke beautifully about the meaning ofteshuva and Klal Israel.

The second part of the evening included songs and dances accompanied by the Shalhevet band and lead singer of the band “Reva Le Sheva,” Yehuda Katz.

The evening ended with everyone coming together to recite the Selichot prayers.

Laya Rivka Wilen, a participant from Colorado studying at Me’ohr Bais Yakkov who attended, said of the event, “the Selichos was a wonderful inspiration for pre-Yom Kippur. Coming from a small town, I have never seen such a large gathering of Jewish girls before. Knowing that there are so many Jews like myself in this world looking to learn and grow was an inspiration in itself.”